Creepers are used in a variety of applications. The most common is the use by a mechanic to provide support and/or mobility while working around or on the underside of a vehicle. Creepers are also used by truck drivers to check on the underside of their vehicles at rest stations or curbside.
Creepers generally are configured as a plank or frame, often upholstered and/or cushioned, with wheels attached to its lower side. The wheels are adapted to provide multidirectional mobility to the creeper while supporting the user, and enable the user to work in environments with low vertical clearances.
A creeper typically (and preferably) has a construction that can support the entire weight of the user.
Since a creeper is typically used by a user lying in a horizontal position, it is often a large item. Although often less than a foot off the ground when in use, creepers are typically 3-5 feet long and 1.5-3 feet wide, in order to accommodate a full-size user. Creepers therefore take up a fair amount of space, which is disadvantageous for portability, for example, for use by a truck driver while on the road.
It would therefore be desirable to have a creeper that is collapsible, that can be stored in the limited space available to a truck driver while on the road, for example, behind the driver's seat of a typical truck cab.
Collapsible or separable creepers are generally known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,580,799 and 4,889,352 describe creepers formed by two hinged sections. The creepers can be folded in order to reduce their overall size when not in use. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,022,670, 5,297,809 and 5,863,053, and US patent publication 2007/0080510 disclose creepers that are constructed of two separable panels. US patent publication 2004/0227313 discloses a multi-function mechanic's creeper having a plurality of functional positions. The creeper includes a frame assembly having rigid base, middle and head sections, such sections allowing the creeper to be configured into a variety of functional positions, including a foldable position. US RE37,372 discloses a creeper/work seat having two end platforms that can be slid apart to opposite ends of a central platform to form a full-length creeper, that can be reconfigured into a work seat with a shelf platform. U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,532 also discloses a folding creeper with a variety of configurations, including a storage section. U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,908 describes a mechanic's creeper having a retractable extension which enables the device to be collapsed from a fully extended working configuration to a more compact size. The creeper therein described comprises a plurality of rigid panels.
It would be desirable to have a creeper that is light-weight, collapsible, and possibly devoid of rigid plank sections, that is light weight and can be stored within limited confines.